Dead Or School
, is an indie hack-and-slash game for the PC, initially released via Steam Early Access on June 9, 2018. It is currently available there and through DMM Games in Japan. Ports for the Playstation 4 and the Nintendo Switch are slated to be released on August 29, 2019. Staff *Mokuseizaiju - Director, Character Design, Scenario, Map Design. *Gaku "Miyamoto" Ninomiya - Animation, Monster Design. *Tomomi "Max" Yamaguchi - Programming, Level Design. Gameplay The game is a 2D platformer set on 3D-rendered dungeons, incorporating the aforementioned action style with RPG elements in a system dubbed "Metroidvania" by some gamers. There are many branching paths, some to advance the plot and the others leading to optional sections. The latter parts often have an item to get or a Refugee to rescue, sometimes accompanied by challenge sequences or simple puzzles. Weapons can be collected from defeated enemies at random or bought in vending machines (standalone/from the memory spots) They come in three categories: Melee, Gun and Launcher. *Melee weapons have a durability rating with varying sizes, kinds and attack power. *Guns are mostly automatic or single shot. *Launchers are typically one-shot, one-kill heavy cannons. Melee weapons with 0 durability will become dull but can still be used with attack power significantly reduced. Empty Guns and Launchers cannot be equipped. Health restoration, weapon repairs and ammo replenishment will be done automatically when accessing a memory spot. All types can be powered-up with reinforcement gears and money or given a new random ability with a modification gear. Up to two attachments can be applied to each weapon, though some categories do not work with certain types. (i.e. Ammo Plus doesn't work on Launchers, Hardness has no effect on Guns, etc.) Character development is multi-faceted: Aside from increasing base stats for HP, Stamina and Equipment Weight Limit, The player has the option to distribute points to a skill tree for activating and improving special abilities divided per weapon type. Stat bonuses and skill points are not only obtained from level-ups, but also from clearing sub-quests, defeating bosses in simulator battles, etc. Plot In a dystopian future, many human beings were afflicted with an unknown virus that turned them into Mutants. The battle between the surviving humans and the mutants was fierce, leading to a decisive confrontation to determine which species will take control. The war raged on for 3 years but the mutants ultimately proved too much for humanity, leaving them with no choice but to give up life on the surface and take refuge underground. Fearing invasion by the mutants, the humans constantly went further below, digging as deep as they could. Civilization, culture and technological know-how was almost completely lost to time as the humans desperately continued to escape from their sworn enemies in the decades to come... 78 years later, a group of youths from Ikebukuro secretly planned to ascend to the upper world using a still-functioning elevator. They were ambushed by mutants en route but survived the attack thanks to Hisako, daughter of the Ikebukuro underground settlement's head. Hisako herself however, was also very curious about what the surface world is like despite a long-standing law among underground dwellers that it was a taboo subject with a corresponding punishment. Hisako's grandmother humored the former's curiosity, sharing what little memories she had left of the place she once called home. She starts by handing Hisako a uniform and telling her about "school", a paradise where children play and learn together. This inspires Hisako to don her grandmother's old uniform, aim for the surface and find a school to go to while gathering friends along the way. Characters *Hisako *Yurika *Daiba *Yuki *Fou *Dr. Yoshitaka *Civilization Investigator Chairman Development The director Mokuseizaiju started out as a manga artist. He was quite prolific in the erotic doujinshi scene and his most notable work was , a comic that mixes erotic entertainment with basic knowledge-sharing for budding artists. He later come up with his own mainstream original series Machine Doll Nanami-Chan, which can be read online via his blog. It was later released under Manga Gocha, shown in various media sites with three standalone published issues currently in circulation. As he mentioned in part 1 of his development vlog in Youtube, the manga's reception was good, but the sales numbers were not enough to make ends meet. Because of this, he planned to create a game that would possibly sell well over a million copies. He knew that he could not do it alone and looked for people to assist. Joining Mokuseizaiju in his game development quest were Gaku Ninomiya and Tomomi Yamaguchi. Aside from his role as director, Mokuseizaiju will also handle human character design, scenario writing and level map layout. Ninomiya is in charge of monster graphics rendered using the Unity 3D program and 2D animation using Spine Pro. He also designed the Mutants and used the latter program to animate both the monster and character sprite models (primarily the main character Hisako). Yamaguchi on the other hand, will oversee all the programming aspects as well as the level graphics. With this, the indie company Studio Nanafushi came into being. Their development office in Koenji also doubled as a small bar called "365". Part 5 of the vlog showed Yamaguchi detailing part of the interior with cement in between working on the game program while said bar was being furnished. The first order of business was to put together a promotional video to submit to Steam Greenlight. Subsequent parts of the development vlog documented this, as well as some proposed additions to the game proper. Due to numerous labor-intensive features they wanted to incorporate, the production time took a lot longer than expected even with part-time help. As a result, Studio Nanafushi overshot the originally intended release date of March 2017. Their development funds were also dwindling to a worrying degree. To this end, they recorded an appeal video featuring Mokuseizaiju reading a script with machine-translated English for the crowdfunding website Indiegogo. The team was able to raise $6010 (20% of their intended goal) from 84 backers and development continued. Though they passed Steam Greenlight ranking at #4 and got an initial version ready for Steam Early Access, many of the proposed features had to either be simplified, delayed or abandoned altogether, like detailed weapon modification, some equipment types, carrying refugees to a specific destination, among others. Throughout the Early Access period, numerous bugs were worked on, and there were instances that the save data of the game was affected to the point that the staff had to warn players to refrain from playing or back up their saves until a fix could be implemented. Another common problem was the English and Chinese language parts had some inconsistent points and/or missed segments because the commissioned translators weren't able to keep up. The final version of the PC game stopped at 7.02 though some glitches remained, the most notable of which is the Roppongi boss sometimes jumping off the stage causing the game to get stuck. Gallery Early Development Screenshots File:DOS_PV_Proto.jpg|Title Image from the Promotional Video with the original release date. File:DOS_Dev01.jpg|Weapon Customization was slated to be more detailed, utilizing different objects to change attack property and defense. File:DOS_Dev03.jpg|There were originally 5 weapon categories, including hand-to-hand with knuckles. The onscreen cut-in was animated and reflects what equipment the player is currently using. File:DOS_SkillTree_Proto.jpg|The initial Skill Tree Menu, divided into Sword, Machine Gun, Knuckles, Chainsaw and Flamethrower categories. File:DOS_Dev04.jpg|Rescued refugees originally had to be escorted to a safe zone in the tradition of Dead Rising. DOS_Dev05.jpg|The animated cut-in was also meant to serve as Hisako's conversation avatar. Shown here is Rika, a refugee character that did not make it to the final release. Final Version Screenshots File:DOSGamplay_Harajuku.jpg|Hisako in Harajuku Station. Trailers File:Dead Or School - Launch Trailer File:【木星在住】三人で作ったゲームSTEAMで発売！！【dead or school】 PC Release & Update History Version 1.00 Version 1.00 was released on June 4, 2018. During the first boot-up, a disclaimer warning will state that since the game is still under development, bugs and error occurrences would be commonplace and can be reported via Steam Community Hub. Moreover, the base game only had three levels available: Shinjuku, Harajuku and Ichigaya. Version 1.10 Early Access started at July 13, 2018 and came with an update that fixed the following issues: *Perfect dodge effect not occurring. *Japanese language font has some unclear characters. *The screen sometimes goes black after selecting Start Game. *Vertical sync changes not being applied. *Some mutant attacks not hitting. *Other minor fixes. Version 1.12~1.14 All released July 14, 2018. 1.12 Fixes: *Fixed Harajuku memory leak. *Adjusted issue where player character disappears after entering elevator from the right. *Other minor fixes. 1.13 Fixes: *Adjustment of enemy attack hitboxes and behavior patterns. *Issue where items cannot be gained even when crouching. *Skip icon not disappearing after FMV ends. *Removed enemy wave meters from elevators with no encounters. *Selected save data from the title screen not loading. 1.14 Fixes: *Movies not playing, especially the preview part for upcoming Budokan update. *Obstacles found in the Ichigaya underground with high HP can be bypassed without breaking them. Version 1.15~1.16 Both released July 16, 2018. 1.15 Fixes: *Mutant:Assault gets stuck in the wall after a jumping attack. *Explosion effects in Ichigaya. *Fixed breakable objects in Ichigaya becoming unbreakable. 1.16 Fixes: *Certain enemies inexplicably falling through the ground after the 1.15 update. Version 1.17 Released July 17, 2018. Fixes: *Enemies not spawning in certain confrontation areas. *Made the mouse cursor stay within the game screen (for windowed mode). *Removed bug that made Shinjuku boss invincible. *Adjustment of the Thunder weapon ability. Version 1.18 & 1.18.1 Released July 18, 2018. 1.18 Fixes: *Stacking percentage abilities between skills & attachments. *Achievements unlocking even though the intended requirements weren't met. *Instances where player can accidentally get stuck inside a rock. *Issue where a battle that is supposed to occur only once happens again. *Ability stacking made possible, earlier version only enabled one with the higher percentage rate. *"PinchHeal" ability can now activate on any weapon equipped, with the recovery amount adjusted. *Added PS4 controller support *Separated control key assignments for menu navigation and gameplay. *Directional controls can now be mapped individually. *Implemented sequential weapon change controls. *Other minor fixes. *Running action is to be added but not implemented yet. 1.18.1 Fixes: *Issue where dodging causes events to be bypassed. Version 1.19 Released July 19, 2018. Fixes: *Weapon switching function also active even on the customization and status screens. *Destination point does not load when teleporting from a memory spot in Ichigaya. Version 1.20 Released July 20, 2018. Fixes: *Left and right input of the directional keys were reversed with the default controller assignment with XINPUT. *Inability to restore defaults when no input devices are connected. *Bug where the only way to cancel in the customization screen is by right clicking with the mouse. *Player character stuck in aiming pose. *Harajuku Boss memory leak. *Some achievements could not be acquired. *Other minor fixes. Version 1.21~1.22 Both released July 21, 2018. 1.21 Fixes: *Bug for a specific achievement. *Launcher Critical rate became 0%. *In Easy Aim mode, the reticle will position itself to the front when no other inputs are detected. *Bug where blank (????) items in Gallery Mode can be selected. *Enemies not appearing in forced confrontations for the Shinjuku area, causing the game to get stuck. *Adjusted input sensitivity of squat and upward slash. *Other minor fixes. 1.22 Fixes: *Enemies not appearing in forced confrontations for other areas, causing the game to get stuck. *Ichigaya Boss bug. *Reversed parameters for the Absorb ability. *Easy Mode Joystick bug. *Launcher can fire while reloading. *Launcher cannot damage enemies. *Other minor fixes. Version 1.23 Released July 22, 2018. Fixes: *Compatibility issues with some Windows 7 versions. Version 1.25~1.26 Both released August 12, 2018. 1.25 Fixes: *Opening the pause screen and closing it when multiple joysticks are connected makes the other joystick active. *Enemies no longer appear in forced battle sections. *Save data will not be reloaded when you continue. *Added Sprint function. *Added Hard Mode *Can now turn mini-map display on and off. *Other minor fixes. 1.25 Improvements: *Adjusted input sensitivity for UI selections. *Loading progress now displayed. *Improvement of processing control input assignment. *Updated savedata format. 1.26 Fixes: *When updating the system data, the connected controller does not function and it is not displayed on the settings screen. *When the inactive game window is restored, the cursor restriction is removed. Version 2.00 Released September 3, 2018. Additions: *Budokan stage now playable. *Addition of Simplified Chinese language (text and UI only). *New enemies. *New weapons. *New action. Fixes: *Level-to-Damage ratio gap. *Customization screen bug *Other minor fixes. The overall graphics quality was also improved. Version 2.01 Released September 5, 2018. Fixes: *The abilities "Slasher", "Second Shot" and "Dodge Slash' appearing as "UnknownID". *Hisako changing size (growing larger), causing a scale mismatch. *Room gimmicks not working, halting progress. *Other minor fixes. Version 2.02~2.03 Released September 8, 2018. 2.02 Fixes: *Sprites falling through the floor in Budokan. *Accomplished objective being re-displayed. *Other minor fixes. 2.03 Fixes: *Player character controllable even on knockdown state. *Enemies not taking damage. *If the player enters critical status after getting hit by the Ichigaya boss' ram attack, character control will be lost. *Other minor fixes. Version 3.00~3.01 Both released October 15, 2018. 3.00 Additions: *Akihabara stage now playable. *New enemies. *New weapons. *New action. 3.00 Fixes: *Sound setting does not return to default even if prompted at the settings screen. *Controller setting can not be changed when it is not connected even if there is existing system data. *Hit detection flaw from a Budokan stage wall. *Ability effect not reflected in UI value when modifying or switching equipment on customization screen. *UI shifts a little when display resolution is not 16:9. *Enemies not appearing in forced confrontations. *Boss of Harajuku stage warping to another room. *Updated system data version. *Other minor bug fixes. 3.00 Improvements: *Animation frame of the first jump. *Optimized UI to prevent breaking on resolutions other than 16:9. *Addition of an "Enable Controller" option. *Addition of a "Controller Vibration" slider. 3.01 Fixes: *Budokan surface event crashing. *"Examine" space turning into "Run" at the key assign screen. *Some event objects unresponsive. Version 3.02 Released October 18, 2018. Fixes: *Enemies no longer appearing in Akihabara stage. *An unassigned button/key being pressed stops the game's sound volume from increasing. *The reticle disappears after closing the memory spot menu. *BGM suddenly stops playing. *Other detailed bug fixes. Version 4.00 Released November 28, 2018. 4.00 Additions: *Shinjuku (Surface) stage now playable. *New enemies. *New weapons. *New action. *Addition of Virtual Combat Simulator Program where defeated bosses can be fought again starting from base up to maximum level. Some levels give rewards like Skill Points, Weight Limit, etc. 4.00 Fixes: *Ability issues *Other major bug fixes. 4.00 Improvements: *Worked on player and enemy sprites getting stuck on terrain. *Overall optimization. The early part of the story had some issues with the English translation, so some users were given save file to replay the aforementioned. Version 4.01 Released November 29, 2018. Fixes: *Cannot start a new game. *Bonus values for life and stamina not reflected on the game screen, but shown in status. *Tutorial video not playing. *Chinese language font has some unclear characters. Issue with the English language part also addressed. Version 4.02 Released December 1, 2018. Fixes: *Yurika's message for unused skill points at the start of a forced battle still appearing even if all points have been used. *One Refugee not appearing on the train. *"Nagadosu" not appearing as a Souvenir nor Weapon, in turn affecting the "Shinjuku Surface Souvenir Collector" achievement. *Certain gallery images/movies not displaying. *Disappearing platform gimmick issues. *Problems with the Chinese language mode. *"Rapid Fire" and "Destroyer" achievement only obtainable when using swords and other melee weapons. *Other minor bug fixes. Save data with negative skill points and no "Nagadosu" will be corrected upon loading using the new version. Version 4.03~4.04 Both released December 2, 2018. 4.03 Fixes: *Problems with Chinese language text. 4.04 Fixes: *Hidden background objects. Version 4.04 unfortunately incurred a save data load bug. The developers requested players to refrain from continuing until the 4.05 build is completed. Version 4.05 Released December 4, 2018. Fixes: *Save data not loading normally. *Life and Stamina parameter increases gained from Souveniers/Refugees not reflecting in the current stats. *A certain Refugee that hasn't been rescued yet will inexplicably appear in the base train. *Enemy spawn counter in elevators. *Other minor bug fixes. Version 4.06 Released December 6, 2018. Fixes: *Transition message in "Virtual Combat Simulator" not disappearing. *Bug with the Budokan boss. *BEST TIME not updated after boss rematch *Fixed the behavior pattern of the Ichigaya Boss. *Shop list item notations. *Area transition not working *Other minor bug fixes. Version 5.00~5.01 Both released January 30, 2019. 5.00 Additions: *Asakusa stage now playable. *New enemies. *New weapons. *New action. 5.00 Fixes: *Save data format updated. *Support for Cloud Saving. *Implemented Shadow Play function. *Frame drop in equipment menu when there are a lot of weapons and attachments. *Adjustment of a contrasting color error item in the shop menu. *Ammo count as shown in the main screen will consume only one unit when using a burst/laser weapon. *Stage sound effects also being heard on the menu screen. *Achievement bug for "Full of energy". *Tutorial movie does not loop. *Custom graphic setting problems. *Cursor disappears from the Checkpoint menu. *Other minor bug fixes. 5.01 Fixes: *Some saved data could not be loaded. *The game freezes when talking to Sachi at the home base. *Stage items are displayed even at the home base. *Objective display for making sweets remains on the screen even after finishing it. *Unobtainable Souvenir from the Five-Story Pagoda. Version 5.02 Released February 5, 2019. Fixes: *Xinput and PS4 controller key icon display. *"Check" key icon displayed during the stage was the "confirm" key during UI phase. *Launcher ammunition count always at zero. *Status is not initialized when skill tree is reset. *Tutorial message issues. *Enemies only take 1 damage from flamethrower and laser type weapons. *Experience points cannot be gained with the flamethrower and laser type weapons. Version 5.03 Released February 20, 2019. Fixes: *Events not replaying when the player and last monster/boss are both defeated . *Chainsaw weapon SFX volume not matching the system setup. *A Strong attack with the flamethrower weapon equipped only deals 1 damage. *Improved visibility of player character as well as the pointer. *Borderless window view implemented. *Typographical errors in Shinjuku, Harajuku and Ichigaya stages. *FPS was fixed at 60 even if vertical sync is off. *Voice SE not changing even if adjusted in settings screen. *Map icon does not disappear even after getting the souvenir at the Budokan stage. *Improved souvenir gimmick puzzle at Budokan stage. *Step detection of the moving lift at Budokan stage. *The normal parameters of the headband does not appear on the description. Version 6.04 Released April 5, 2019. 6.04 Additions: *Roppongi stage now playable. *New enemies. *New weapons. *New action. 6.04 Fixes: *Key icon on the settings screen is not displayed when the new joystick is activated. *Pressure applied not matching the input value when using joystick aim. *Slope climbing issues for the player character. *Tyrants geting on the roof at Asakusa stage. *Message remaining on the screen. *BGM can not be played if you start the game again with BGM 0. *Optimized Shinjuku (Surface) boss battle. *Optimized Ichigaya boss battle. *Hit effect displayed when the penetration bullet hits itself. *Added option keys for switching weapon attributes and deleting saves. *Corrected determining Confirm and Cancel key from OS language when initializing key assignment. *Aura effect is not displaying if player defeat the enemy even once. *Player character's hair goes crazy when crouched while equipped with a grenade launcher. *Improved runtime memory. *Other minor bug fixes. Version 6.05 Released April 6, 2019. Fixes: *Game freezes when talking to Fow at the base train. *A rock cannot destroyed by the drill in Akihabara, halting progress. *Maps not loading and the player character falling while moving from a checkpoint to the ground in Roppongi. *Achievements for colloected souvenirs not registering *Unused skill point display disappearing after talking to Fow in Roppongi. *Enemy name "Blood Vessel" is displayed as "UNKNOWNID". *Some joystick buttons cannot be assigned functions. Version 6.06 Released April 9, 2019. Fixes: *Wall does not disappear and progress is stopped after a game over during the boss battle at the Roppongi headquarters. *Event bug in helicopter battle. *Added process of checking the all souvenir/rescued refugee achievements performed when loading save data. *Asakusa Boss bug. *Other minor bug fixes. Version 6.07 Released April 12, 2019. Fixes: *AIMX / AIMY items can not be given key assignment. *Asakusa and Roppongi station images replaced to the correct ones. *Player character faces left when aiming up and down if set at manual aim. *Some attacks of the last boss inflict just 1 damage. *Screen sometimes blacks out after a conversation event. *Corrected achievement names in Chinese. Version 6.08 Released April 12, 2019. Fixes: *Displayed critical rate is not a total. *Displayed reload time can be less than 0. *There is still a required EXP count despite being at maximum level. *Game hangs when using dodge, causing progress to be stopped from the first tutorial. *Blur effect remaining after an action tutorial in Harajuku *Event battle to happening again in most scenes. *Starting position of the Ichigaya boss is odd. *Afterimage effect remaining for one boss fight in Roppongi. *One attack of the last boss inflicts just 1 damage. *Other minor bug fixes. Version 7.00 Released June 3, 2019. Fixes: *Game crash. *Revised first opening scene. *Overall optimization. *Odd effect after a movie event. *Weapon acquisition info remains on-screen. *No sound in the loading screen. Version 7.01 Released June 5, 2019. Fixes: *Sudden crash in Asakusa Boss Fight. Version 7.02 Released June 15, 2019. Fixes: *Player character's hair is bugged when using launcher skill. *Drone with empty ammo permanently disappearing even after resupplying from a memory spot. *Cars in Akihabara stage do not have explosion gimmick. Console Release The PS4 and Switch version will be released on August 29, 2019. Updates and history will be recorded here, though mainly for the Switch Version. A placeholder for the PS4 version will be left for other contributors when the contributor restriction is lifted. Notes & Trivia *The plot of Dead Or School is meant to be a "what-if" side story based on the Machine Doll Nanami-Chan manga, with common elements between the two becoming more and more obvious as the game story progresses. *The first trailer mistakenly had the copyright date of 2008 instead of 2017/2018. This was corrected in subsequent videos and other promotional material. *Hisako's voice actress was credited in-game for performing three roles: the main character herself, Hisako's mother and grandmother. The voices for the latter two can only be heard in the promotional video, not the game proper. *If the player tries to go beyond the currently available stages in earlier versions on PC, a small skit will play out where Yurika and Daiba (plus Yuki after Akihabara has been cleared) will tell Hisako that due to circumstances beyond their control (specifically how hard it is for only 3 people to make 1 area within a month's time), they have no choice but to stay on the train until the update is complete. A preview teaser will follow where the iArm display will show highlights of the stage that is currently in development. External Links *https://www.nanafushi.jp/ *https://store.steampowered.com/app/789760/DEAD_OR_SCHOOL/ *https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dead-or-school#/ Category:Dead Or School Category:Indie Game